Aburame Miraye
by Mika Casey
Summary: This is a story about Shino and Hinata's firstborn. ShinoHina, NaruSaku, ShikaTema, NejiTen, KibaIno.
1. Beginning

**Disclaimer** - I do not own any of the Naruto characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. But their babies are mine! -evil laugh-

**Author's Note** - None. :)

* * *

A twenty-two year old Aburame Shino was wearing his usual clothes; a black tee-shirt, blue pants, blue shoes, a large white collared jacket and his large dark green overcoat. His goggles sat snugly against his eyes. He sat in the healing-nin's delivery room, holding hands with his twenty-one year old wife. Uzumaki Sakura, the healing-nin, was intently focused on getting the newborn out safely. But Shino payed no attention to Sakura. At the moment, Shino was watching his wife's face. Rage, pain, and passion were all twisted into her features.

_And people think she isn't a fighter_. He thought to himself.

He clutched her fingers, upset by the torture she was obviously going through. Beads of sweat dripped from her midnight-black hairline and down her face, her mouth was pulled into a grimace. Her lavender eyes were shut tightly, and her nose was scrunched up as she exerted all of her energy into delivering the child.

And this was, technically and entirely, his fault.

The severe discomfort disappeared from her face. Sakura pulled out the tiny human, which was covered in bodily fluids, and cut the umbilical cord. She took the baby to a table for a few moments to remove the remains of its connection to its mother.

"Are you all right?" He asked her, feeling awful. He hated seeing her in pain.

All she could do was nod, smiling faintly at him.

Sakura returned with the baby. The infant was wrapped in a pink blanket; face red and tiny mouth open in a high-pitched wail.

"Aburame Shino-kun and Aburame Hinata-chan, it's a girl." The pink-haired girl announced. Her green eyes sparkled as she gently rested the baby in Shino's arms. He turned to Hinata so she could see the baby, but she had passed out after delivering the afterbirth.

"I'll take care of Hinata-chan." Sakura told him, turning back to the table and sorting through some medications.

Shino looked down at the baby. Her skin was pale, like his. A thin layer of Hyuuga black hair covered her head. Pulling back the blanket to look at her collarbone, and noticed a birthmark the shape of a butterfly on her smooth skin. He had one as well, and in the same spot. It was larger and fainter that the baby's, but definitely there. His kikai bugs thrummed under his skin.

She would be a bug wielder.

Sakura had been washing Hinata with a cool washcloth, and Hinata had come to. Sakura left the room, smiling.

Hinata was watching her husband admire their child. "What should we name her, Shino-kun?" She asked him.

Shino turned to look at her through his sunglasses. "Aburame Miraye." After his mother. She had died giving birth to Shino. All he knew of her was drawn from her name and the stories his father told him.

He had been scared to death for Hinata. He wanted to be the father of her children more than anything, but he did not want her to suffer the same fate as his mother. He was relived down to his very bones that she was okay.

"Hinata-chan, I love you." He told her in a heartfelt manner, looking away from the baby and into her eyes. She smiled sweetly at him, irises lit like lavender candles.

"I love you too Shino-kun. As well as you, baby Miraye." She cooed.

A wave of happiness crashed over Shino. This was his and Hinata's baby. A combination of them both, made real by the love they shared. Even to this day, he was amazed that he was married to her and was the father of her child.

And Shino sat there, in the healing-nin's room, with the two most precious things in his life.

* * *

A few days later, the Aburames returned to their house. It was a medium-sized cottage with four bedrooms, fit to raise a family in. Hinata carried a bundled up Miraye in her arms, while Shino opened the door for her.

Inside, they found visitors.

Kiba and his wife, Ino, were on the floor, leaning against Akamaru. His brunette hair was gelled down, which Shino knew wasn't his idea. Kiba sat there, pouting at the platinum blonde woman beside him. Their four-year-old son was bouncing around the room, screeching at the top as his lungs. His hair was the same shade as his mother's and his eyes the same puppy dog brown as his father's.

"Karasu!" Shino called to the boisterous toddler.

Karasu turned and noticed the bug-nin walk through the door. "Uncle Shino!" He shrieked, flying at the Aburame. Karasu gave Shino's leg a thorough snuggle. "Where's the baby?" He asked the man who wasn't really his uncle, eyes shining with excitement.

"Aunt Hinata is holding her. If you sit still, the baby can sit in your lap." Shino told him.

Karasu didn't have to be told twice. He leapt onto a white couch, wriggling slightly as Hinata set the baby in his lap. He gasped as he examined her with his eyes. "What is her name?" He asked.

"Miraye." Shino told him softly.

Kiba, being Shino's best friend, recognized the name. "A beautiful name for a beautiful child." He told his friend, approaching him and slapping him on the back. "Congratulations." And then, leaning in closer to Shino, he wiggled his eyebrows. "I didn't think you two had been getting busy last winter." He winked.

Ino, who was standing behind Kiba, smacked him in the side of the head with the back of her head. "What did I tell you, Kiba? Not in front of Karasu!" She hissed in his ear.

Shino laughed as Kiba's face turned the shade of a bing cherry. It was clear to Shino who the dominant one in their marriage was. Kiba had always been boastful and a bit full of himself, trying to overthrow Shino back when they were a team to become the alpha male. But Shino always ended up beating him. And clearly, Kiba was losing the battle for dominance once again.

Hinata turned away from the baby and spoke to Ino. "The Uzumaki, Hyuuga, and Nara families are coming over to welcome our little one."

Ino smiled. "Shikamaru and Temari are in town?" The two lived in the Village Hidden by the Sand, Temari's hometown.

Hinata nodded. "Along with their brood." Both being twenty-four years old, Shikamaru and Temari had gotten a head start on everybody else, child-wise. They already had three little ones.

Shino sat on the couch next to Karasu, who was cuddling Miraye. Shino watched his daughter. She was so fragile, so small. And he knew she would grow to be strong one day.

Her tiny eyes opened.

"Her eyes! They're open!" He called to everyone else in the room.

Everyone huddled around Miraye. Her eyes were night black, like his. He couldn't tell where the pupil ended and the iris began.

Hinata gasped. "They're like yours, Shino-kun."

Kiba and Ino looked curiously at Shino. They had never seen his eyes before.

Shino sighed. He brought a hand up to his face and slid the goggles down so his eyes were esposed. His eyes were the same as little Miraye's; like dark pools of black water, full of exasperation and happiness.

"Wow, no wonder Hinata thinks you're sexy." Kiba laughed. This was followed by a thump; Ino's fist connecting with the top of his head.

Shino put his goggles back on.

A half an hour passed at the two families caught up. Hinata prepared four cups of tea, and then claimed Miraye back from Karasu. With the permission of their guests and a slight blush, Hinata proceeded to breast-feed the newborn. At that time, the doorbell rang.

Shino stood to answer it. He opened the door to the faces of Neji and Tenten. Neji wore a grin on his face, and Tenten was smiling as well. Their two-year old daughter was on Neji's shoulders, drooling onto his hat. Shino decided it would be best not to tell him.

"Welcome, Hyuuga Neji, Hyuuga Tenten, and Hyuuga Shukumei." He greeted them formally.

Neji bowed his head slightly. "Thank you for inviting us into your home." Shukumei smiled, her mouth toothless.

Next, Shino welcomed in Shikamaru and Temari. Two six-year-olds were holding Temari's hands, twin girls. Shikamaru held a three-year-old boy in his arms. He nodded politely to Shino before he walked in, and Temari stepped in behind him.

Shino noticed something protruding from her belly.

_Another_ child?

"Temari!" Ino squealed. "You're pregnant again?"

Temari nodded, smirking. She leaned towards Ino, saying loudly. "I can't keep Shikamaru's hands off me. Even when I'm pregnant, I'm not safe." She told her.

All the adults, including Shino, laughed.

The twin girls were both golden blonde with brown eyes. One wore her hair down and was wearing a white and pink floral dress. This was Tanrei. She was shy and gentle, and loved animals. Tanrei immediately found Akamaru and began scratching behind his ears. He licked her, enjoying a little attention.

The other twin was dressed in a gray jumpsuit. Her blonde tresses were tied back in a ponytail. Her name was Kaze. She was outgoing, and very loud. She approached Inuzuka Karasu, and soon they were off to hide under the kitchen table and planning diabolical schemes.

Shikamaru set Suna, his son, down on the floor next to Hyuuga Shukumei. Suna cried out in delight and Shukumei clapped her hands.

And, last but not least, the Uzumaki family arrived.

Naruto was holding onto a blonde-haired three-year-old girl and redhead five-year-old boy his arms. Sakura carried in a container of food. The smell of rice balls filled the air.

"Sakura-chan!" Exclaimed Hinata. "You didn't have to…"

"But I did." Sakura told Hinata merrily, taking the food to the kitchen.

Shino smiled. When they were younger, Sakura and Hinata barely knew each other. Hinata saw Sakura as her rival for a mate – Naruto. But when Hinata realized that Shino was the one she was meant for, the friendship between her and Sakura blossomed. Friendship bloomed as well between Shino and the loudmouth when Naruto and Sakura started dating, several months after Sasuke's funeral.

When Hinata was done feeding Miraye, the room exploded into conversation. The women all surrounded Hinata, cooing about how beautiful the baby was.

_They had no idea_. Shino thought.

The kikaichuu buzzed, telling him that somebody was behind him. He turned. There stood Kiba. He was smiling. "Is Miraye going to be a bug-freak like you?" He teased his former teammate.

"Yeah." Shino told him, voice tinted a bit with darkness. "I'm worried for her." He didn't want her to suffer the pain he did as a child; the other children calling her names or thinking she was a freak.

"Don't worry." Kiba assured him. "She will grow up knowing Karasu, Shukumei, Aijou, and Teisei." Kiba's son. Neji's daughter. Naruto's children.

"This is true." Shino agreed.

"They will be there for her, like Hinata and I were for you." He told him.

A ghost of a smile made the ends of Shino's lips turn up. "Thank you, dog-breath."

"No problem, bug-freak." The canine boy told him.

The reunion continued for a few hours, with laughter and cheery sips of wine.

Eventually, it was time for everyone to go home. Finally, the last child and parent left.

Hinata was walking down the stairs. She had put Miraye into her crib. She lay herself down on the couch, exhausted.

Shino joined her, putting his goggles on his head and lying down on top of her. His body fit perfectly into her curves for the first time in a while. He breathed on her face, teasing her as he kissed her nose softly. He brought his hand up to her head and caressed her soft hair.

"I'm glad we started a family." She told him, smiling up at him with her mouth and eyes.

Shino agreed.

"Kiba-kun was right." She muttered.

He looked at her questioningly.

"Your eyes _are_ very sexy." And she pulled him in to kiss her.


	2. Sun and Moon

**Disclaimer** - I do not own any of the Naruto characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. But their babies are mine! -evil laugh-

**Author's Note** - None. :)

* * *

A fifteen-year-old Aburame Miraye awoke as her kikaichuu bugs under her skin hummed softly. She turned her head to look at the clock. It read 7:00. Training started in forty-five minutes.

Miraye sat up in the dark room, tying her soft black hair back with a rubber band she had on her slender wrist. She reached for her sunglasses on the bedside table. When they were snugly against her nose and covering her eyes, she stood and walked to the window, throwing the curtain open.

Her room was a wreck. Black clothes were scattered everywhere. The wood floor beneath them was unseen. Miraye removed the black tee-shirt and sweats she was wearing, exchanging them for the black bodysuit hanging on the hook screwed to her door. She slipped her legs and then her arms into it. It was loose, with holes near the wrists before the sleeves tightened so her kikaichuu could get out when she needed them to. She zipped up the suit and looked for her mask. It was sitting on her dresser, which she rarely used. She pulled the string over her head; the plastic molded exactly to the shape of the bottom half of her face. It covered below her nose, so nobody could see the kikaichuu when they exited the extra hole in the back of her throat. There were holes to let them out, of course. She was sure her destruction bugs would not enjoy getting slobbered on.

She heard a knock on her door. "Come in." She said, voice exiting through the holes in her mask.

A pale hand opened her door slowly. "Miraye-san?" Her father addressed her as he poked his hood-covered head into the room.

Her father, Aburame Shino, was one of her best friends. Her father and grandfather, Shibi-ojiisan, trained her before she was part of Team 7. They taught her everything she needed to know about the kikaichuu that had grown close to her, in both a literal and emotional sense. He continued to train with her sometimes, but he was also a big part of her mental support. He knew what it was like growing up as a bug-freak. But he always reminded her that she had her friends, and she was thankful for them as well.

"I'm almost ready. I just have to find my shoes." She told him, eyes warm from behind her sunglasses.

Shino nodded. "I'll leave you to that. But don't be late. Neji-sensei will not be pleased if you are late."

Miraye nodded absentmindedly.

Miraye was convinced, at first, she was put on Team 7 as a mistake. She was a few years younger than to two male members of her team. But her sensei at the academy had realized that Miraye was more advanced than her classmates, and Miraye had passed the test to become genin with flying colors.

The headmaster of the ninja academy assigned her to Team 7; with Inuzuka Karasu and Uzumaki Gaman. Though their parents were good friends, she hadn't know the two boys very well. She didn't talk much during her parent's little reunions.

But as she got to know them, the trio became inseperable.

Inuzuka Karasu was a platinum blonde boy, standing at about 5'9", with liquid chocolate eyes. The nineteen-year-old boy wasn't big, but he wasn't skinny either. He was bubbly and outgoing, and he always spoke his mind. He was clumsy with his words, but very loyal towards both her and Gaman. He had the ability to read people's minds when he was looking into her eyes, and had inherited his 

mother's mind transfer jutsu. He couldn't read Miraye's mind when she was wearing her sunglasses. Most of the time, this worked in her favor.

Her father had told her a story about the first day Miraye had come home from the healing-nin's office as a baby. Karasu had been there, and was the first one besides her parents to hold her. Somehow, this made her blush slightly whenever she thought about it. Luckily, her mask hid her apple-colored cheeks from him whenever he was around.

Uzumaki Gaman was a golden blonde boy with emerald green eyes. He was one year younger than Karasu, but much bigger. He had a large build, but he was quite the gentle giant. He loved Miraye and Karasu like his brother and sister. He loved to eat and squash them with giant bear hugs. He was brilliant in the field of medicine, and used taijustu when he fought in battle.

Miraye loved her teammates like her family. They had sleepovers at her house (so Shino could keep a suspicious eye on her with his kikaichuu), and they would talk about anything and everything until the sun rose. Sometimes she would even take her mask and glasses off, since she didn't release the destruction bugs during these sleepovers, but she never looked Karasu directly in the eyes. She wasn't ready to expose her thoughts to the Inuzuka boy any time soon.

Finally finding her shoes, Miraye slipped them on and rushed out her bedroom door.

Her mother was waiting for her in the kitchen with a bowl of cereal set for Miraye on the table. Miraye smiled wordlessly at her mother while she shoveled the food down her throat.

Her mother was the most beautiful woman she had ever known. Her long, midnight black hair hung down past her shoulders. Sometimes it was tied in a braid, but most of the time it was let loose. Her mother's eyes were a pretty lavender color, like milky purple-gray pools. She was a petite woman, standing at about 5'2" and weighing 115 lbs. Miraye was surprised her small frame had supported her, her brother, and her sister when she had been pregnant with each of them.

Shino walked into the room. He lowered his glasses to wink at Miraye, who was still gobbling hungrily at the food, and pushed them back onto his nose while he turned to his wife. "Good morning, Hinata-chan." He purred like a cat when he spoke her name aloud. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her gently.

Miraye pretended to gag. Her parents were affectionate enough to make her sick to her stomach.

"Bye guys." She managed to mutter as she stood up. Pushing her chair in, she ran to the door. Her large black jacket hung on a hook next to her backpack, and she slung on both before she rushed out the door.

Her backpack contained few things. An extra pair of sunglasses, some money, sanitary napkins, migraine pills (she was a teenage girl, after all), and a couple bottles of water. She rushed to the team seven training grounds, dangerously close to being late. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her to the meadow in the forest.

She heard Gaman before she saw him. "Neji-sensei, where are Miraye and Karasu?" Miraye snickered. She wasn't the latest one.

She could almost see the smirk on her teacher's face when his voice rang out through the trees. "If Karasu's plan worked, they're probably making out somewhere."

Miraye's mind froze up. _What?_

She slammed into a tree.

Blackness swum into her vision as she looked up at the sky. The last thing she saw was the image of Neji and Gaman looking down at her. _Hello, mister sun and mister moon_…


	3. Bandages

Miraye finally came to after about an hour. Her pitch black eyes fluttered open to the bright sun. Her head was resting on something softer than the ground she had landed on. She squinted and saw Neji and Gaman sparring.

That was when she realized her sunglasses weren't on.

And that she was sitting in Inuzuka Karasu's lap.

A high-pitched wail was emitted from her throat. She closed her eyes and covered them up with her hands. She felt her kikaichuu rumbling more than usual. They were probably what brought her too. She could feel their worry radiate through her insides. Then their worry changed to a lecture. Did she not realize that they had warned her about the tree? They wanted to know.

A hand came down over hers, large and warm. It moved her hands, and Karasu delicately put her sunglasses back on. They were taped in the middle with black medical tape.

_Oh, great. Now I look even _more_ like a dork._

"They were broken." He muttered. It wasn't much like Karasu to speak so softly. He inherited his big mouth from his dog-nin father, as well as most of his other personality traits. Like the way her practically wagged his little doggy tail whenever he saw her or Gaman.

Except he didn't have a tail.

"Karasu-kun, you can move your hand now." She told him, his hand still lingering on hers.

He blushed. "Oh. Sorry."

She got to her feet, and the two of them stood together awkwardly. Miraye turned away from him and started to walk towards Neji-sensei and Gaman, but his voice stopped her in her tracks.

"What's wrong with your eyes?"

Karasu must have had a death wish that day. Miraye turned on him. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with my eyes. If anything is wrong, there is something wrong with your _brain_!" She howled angrily. There was a scowl that he couldn't see behind her mask, as well at the slight blush occupying her cheeks. "My eyes are normal for someone with Aburame descent!" She didn't know why she even bothered explaining. She turned on her heel and stalked over to her sensei and other teammate.

Gaman smiled, his green eyes glittering happily. "I'm glad you're better, Miraye-chan!" He chirped.

This brought the traces of a grin to her face, but she was still fuming at the stupid Inuzuka boy. Who did he think he was, assuming there was something _wrong_ with her eyes?

Training passed quietly from them on. Karasu kept his mouth shut. Miraye would be happy if Karasu never spoke again.

And Miraye still didn't know why she was so angry.

When training was over, Neji-sensei had to dismiss himself to go home.

Gaman approached Miraye, who was sitting on the ground. Sweat was dripping down both of their faces. She was glaring across the meadow at Karasu and tearing tufts of grass out of the ground. The Inuzuka boy was too scared to approach.

"Miraye-chan, everyone's meeting at the ramen shop. Want to come?" He asked her. His green eyes were bright, as usual, but his voice didn't sound as comfortably happy as he usually did.

Miraye sighed. "Of course, Gaman-kun." A faint smile formed on her face, but nobody could see it.

"Karasu's coming too." He informed her. The unseen smile vanished. He looked at her pleadingly. "Please be nice to him, Mira-chan. He's a loudmouth, but he didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"I will treat him civilly." This, in her mind, was the cold shoulder.

The three walked in silence to the ramen shop. Gaman walked between his comrades, Miraye on his right and Karasu on his left. An awkward air hung over the three best friends. Karasu was watching the ground with his milky chocolate eyes, while Miraye and Gaman looked ahead.

A root sticking out of the sidewalk caught Karasu's foot, and his forward motion sent him face first into the pavement. He heard a crack as his nose hit the ground first. _Stupid gravity_. He cursed in his mind.

Miraye just looked at Karasu. Then she turned her gaze onto Gaman. She sighed. "Can you treat him?"

Gaman was already turning the Inuzuka boy over and examining the damage. Karasu was whining uncontrollably. The impact had shattered his nose. There was a scrape on his left cheek. "I haven't dealt with broken facial bones yet." Gaman muttered quietly, not wanting to anger his normally stoic teammate. Why were her emotions showing through so much today? _It has to be puberty_. He decided to himself.

Then, Miraye surprised the Uzumaki boy by kneeling down next to the wounded boy and slinging his arm over her shoulder. She stood, almost at tall as Karasu. "I'll take him to Sakura." She told him. "Go ahead and meet everyone. Tell them we're sorry we couldn't make it."

Gaman peered intently into her sunglasses, but couldn't see her eyes. He trusted her with his life, so he nodded. He turned and walked away, hoping that he hadn't condemned his friend to the young she-ninja.

Miraye walked with the larger ninja's weight on her shoulders. She had been rude. She wanted to make it up to him.

Suddenly, a nose was nuzzled against her ear. "Thanks, Mira-chan." Karasu whimpered to her.

This sent shivers down her spine. She smiled behind her mask. "Not a problem, Karasu-kun. I would like to apologize for my behavior earlier…"

"No." He said weakly, burying his face past the collar on her jacket and into the crook between her jaw and her shoulder. "I was the rude one. May I rephrase my question?"

_He's just delirious_. She told herself. He was not flirting, or displaying affection. He just wasn't thinking straight.

"Sure, Karasu-kun." She said in a friendly.

She felt she edges of his lips curl up against her skin.

He began speaking, warm breath touching the exposed skin on her neck a serious tone in his voice. "How can eyes be that beautiful?"

Miraye was especially glad for her mask that moment. A crimson blush was displayed on her face. Karasu-kun thought her eyes were beautiful. Her eyes were midnight black; there was no difference between the color of her pupil and the color of her iris. Same as her father's eyes, and her grandfather's. Along with the color, Miraye had also inherited the sensitivity of the eyes. This came with carrying the kikaichuu. At the moment, the bugs under her skin buzzed with excitement as her temperature rose drastically. Several destruction bugs exited through the holes near her wrists. They gathered around her and the boy, trying to figure out what was making their host uncomfortable.

Miraye scolded them privately. _Akarui! Take your friends and get back inside. You're not needed at the moment._ Yes, Miraye had named a few of her destruction bugs. The queen, who lived underneath her lungs and heart, and the more intelligent ones were the only ones she could speak to. They usually spread her messages to everyone else. Naming the smart ones was part of bonding with the whole hive.

The bugs flew back in at Akarui's command, but Akarui stayed and landed on Karasu's nose. Karasu opened his mouth to say something, but Miraye placed a finger over his mouth. _What's wrong with this male?_ Akarui asked her host.

_Broke his nose_. Miraye told her.

_Ah_. Said the kikai bug. She examined his nose with her tiny legs_. Is this the male you always think to us about?_

Miraye nodded, and Akarui's thought-voice hummed in amusement.

_You should take him as a mate_. She teased before flying back into the hole in Miraye's jacket. Miraye's face flushed. This was the most she had ever blushed in one day.

When the bug was gone, Karasu looked up at Miraye. "What was that all about?"

"My kikai likes you." She informed him, voice even.

His eyes widened. "How do you know?"

"She told me." Miraye smirked.

When the two got to the healing office, they found Sakura sitting behind a desk, shuffling papers. Miraye hoped the healing-nin wasn't busy.

"Sakura?" She called to the pink-haired woman. "Karasu had an accident…"

Sakura looked up. "Oh my!" She squeaked as she stood and rushed over to Karasu's side. "Come with me to the examining room, I'll have you bandaged up in no time…"

Miraye watched Sakura tend to Karasu's nose wound with great precision from behind her sunglasses. Miraye couldn't help but notice the way his brown eyes glowed in gratitude, how his pale blonde hair fell into his face from time to time. The way the corners of his mouth tugged up into a 

grin, how his canine teeth were slightly pointed at the ends. When the healer was done, she dismissed the two genin with a smile and pat on the boy's head. "You be careful, Karasu."

Karasu grinned at the older ninja. "Of course, Sakura."

Karasu and Miraye walked out of the healing office in higher spirits. Karasu had a mended nose, and both had and a mended friendship.


	4. Of Kisses and Death

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto, but their babies are mine.  
**Author's Note**: Hope you guys like this one!

* * *

A gently firm hand was grasping Miraye's shoulder when she awoke. The room was dark, so the young ninja could only make out a tall, hooded figure hovering beside her bed. She caught her breath and listened carefully. She visibly relaxed when she heard the familiar hum of kikai bugs.

The sound of her father's voice sounded from the figure. "You have a visitor, Miraye-san." He informed her, his voice strained with supressed anger and grief.

Miraye sat up. Her father rarely expressed his emotions, but he was very open about them when he did. To have him holding something back from her was like a kunai right to the heart. "Daddy, what's wrong?" Fear tinged her voice like a poison, threatening to make her lose control of her own feelings. Her first lesson in training with her father and Shibi-ojiisan was never let anyone know her emotions.

The hint of negativity in his voice was gone when he spoke again, making Miraye doubt if she had even heard it. "Nothing is wrong, my ladybug. I simply told you that you have a visitor."

"Who?" She asked. She hadn't been expecting anybody.

She could tell by the way her father was adjusting his collar that he wasn't thinking about this conversation. She could hear him fiddling with the top two buttons. "Kiba-kun's son. Karasu." He told her.

Miraye's eyes widened. Maybe Karasu was upset about yeterday after all. She asked warily, "Did he seem angry?"

"No." The tall man told her. "Happy. Mentioned something about peaches." His almost too-steady voice gave away the fact that he was majorly distrated by something.

"Thank you, father. I'll be downstairs in a moment." She told him. He just nodded absentmindedly and left, silent as a ghost.

Miraye stood and threw a tee-shirt and some black jeans on. She slung on her plasic mask and daintily placed her sunglasses on her nose, pondering why Karasu would want to see her about peaches.

She descended the steps to the lower story of the Aburame cottage. She spotted her mother and father in the kitchen from the top of the staircase. They were talking in hushed voices. Miraye stomped on each stair on purpose to let them know she was coming.

They stopped talking. Her father turned to the table and sat in a large chair. He was silent, but this was usual. But her mother turned to her, with a smile plastered onto her face. Miraye knew something was wrong then. Her mother was usually loving and warm, but her eyes harbored a cold emotion that the teenage bug-nin couldn't figure out. Her mother spoke. "Good morning, Miraye-san. Did you sleep well?"

Miraye nodded curtly to her mother. "I did. Thank you." She looked around to find Karasu sitting on a couch. He was looking at a particularly large butterfly framed on the wall. His cute pink mouth was pulled into a firm line, his back perfectly straight and rigid. He looked at Miraye and smiled, but didn't speak for a few seconds. In those seconds, he stood and smoothed his dark green tee-shirt.

"Shall we?" He bowed, pretending to be a gentleman. Miraye scowled behind her mask, but followed him as he walked out onto the porch.

When they were a safe distance down the sidewalk and away from the cottage, she spoke. "What was up with my parents? They never act like that." She said, partially apologizing for what must have been a painful encounter with the Aburame parents.

"Dunno." He said, eyes looking innocently confused. "My parents were like that this morning." He shrugged. "Father practically had his tail between his legs, and mother was a lot more irritable than usual. I didn't ask questions." He turned his head so he could look at Miraye. "But, on a happier note, would you like to buy some peaches from the market with me? And then we could bake a pie at my house. What do you think?"

Miraye was taken aback. All she could muster was, "Why?"

Karasu-kun assumed a pretend-hurt expression. "Do I really need a reason to bake pies with my best friend?"

The she-ninja shook her head, chuckling. She had left her hair down today, so her straight black strands of hair were falling into her face and in front of her sunglasses.

They picked out ten ripe peaches from the market. It took lots of searching and a long debate with the vendor about the price, but they finally were happy with the fruits they were towing back to the Inuzuka house in a brown paper bag.

Miraye had been over to the Inuzuka house once, a few years ago. It was a small two-bedroom place. Karasu was an only child, so he pretty much had the house to himself. When they got there, a slender blonde woman was waiting at the door, wearing an apron and a big smile. She had obviously gotten over her horrible mood from that morning. "Hello, Miraye-san! I haven't seen you in a while." She told her when the two teenagers stepped on the front porch.

Being in a jovial mood, Miraye punched playfully Karasu in the ribs. "Your son just can't stand to be around me, ma'am."

"I don't know, Mira-san." She winked at the bug-girl with a mischevious glint in her eye. "He leapt out of bed today to go and pick you up for this little pie-baking mission." Ino turned around and walked inside. The scent of whatever was cooking in the oven filled the air, tangy and meaty, by the smell of it.

Miraye and Karasu bustled inside. Miraye set down the peaches she had been carrying, and Karasu got out all the supplies. Miraye was slicing peaches when he spoke to her after a long and comfortable silence.

"Miraye-chan, there's something I have to tell you." He said, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

At that moment, the knife in Miraye's hand slipped and sliced the tip of her finger. "Shoot." A few kikai bugs flew out and examined her finger.

"Can you tell them to go away for a second?" Asked Karasu, indicating the destruction bugs.

Slightly confused, Miraye just nodded. The bugs flew back into her shirt, and Karasu grabbed her hand. Boldly, her teammate put her fingertip in his mouth and sucked on the tiny incision. She felt one of his extra sharp canines brush against it, but his tongue was gentle as it licked away the blood.

He opened his mouth to let her finger out. "There." He said, smiling at her. But she didn't see his grin, because her head was down. She was watching their shoes.

Karasu stepped closer, bringing his hand to her face and tilting her chin up with his fingers. "Mira-chan, there's something I have to tell you."

She looked up. All she could do was stare at him through her sunglasses, glad that he couldn't see the tears welling up in her black eyes.

Karasu gazed at her. "Miraye-chan, I love you. I have for the past three years, but I never knew if you returned my feelings. Your sunglasses were the barrier, and I can't stand not knowing any longer. And at this point, all I want is for you to be happy. And I want you to know that my heart beats with love for you, and only you."

Miraye stared at him for what seemed like a thousand years. She reached up slowly to her own face and removed her sunglasses. Her pitch black eyes looked right into his beautiful brown ones for the first time. His face softened as he read what she felt about him. Yes, she loved him too. Her mind was willing to say it, even if her mouth was not.

But that was enough to convince him. Karasu removed the mask on her face. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her close. He was only a few inches taller than her, so all he would have to do was lean down for their lips to meet. She flung her arms around his neck, so filled with happiness she couldn't contain herself from smiling as he leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. The kiss was innocent and lasted a few moments, but it meant the world to Miraye.

Karasu pulled himself back and picked up her mask from the countertop on which he set it. He gave it back to her wordlessly. Anything they could have said was potrayed in the touching of their lips and in the way they had held eachother in that moment. The continued to bake the pie in silence. Miraye's kikaichuu were buzzing uncontrollably. Akarui, one of her favorite destruction bugs, was relaying to the other bugs what the disturbance was happily.

When they had prepared and devoured the pie, Karasu walked Miraye home. The sun was setting over the horizon. She felt as if she were walking on clouds the whole time. If she was dreaming, she never wanted to wake up. He grasped her hand as they walked down the sidewalk, whispering poetry into her ear. She had no idea what the intricate words meant, but they tickled her soul like her kikaichuu tickled her insides.

The two arrived at the house. Her mother, father, sister, and brother were all on the front lawn with Uzumaki Naruto and Gaman. Gaman's father looked like he had been crying for a long period of time.

A wail came from her ten-year-old sister, Riya. The words were bone chilling. "Mitsukai is dead!"


	5. Love Heals the Pain

When Miraye heard her sister wail, the bug girl stopped in her tracks about ten meters away from the house. Mitsukai was dead? Suddenly, Miraye wanted all of this to be a dream.

Mitsukai was Gaman's eleven-year-old sister. The youngest of the three Uzumaki children, Mitsu-chan had always been a quiet child. She hung around with the older kids somtimes, but mostly kept to herself. She had had pink hair, like her mother's, and her father's sky blue eyes. She had been sweet and giving to those around her, and one of her brother's closest friends.

Her brother, Tenko, was sitting on the grass with his head in his hands. He was weeping uncontrolably. Miraye tried to rush forward to his side, but she collapsed. Luckily, Karasu caught her and held himself close to her back. He didn't say anything; he was a grief-stricken as the rest of them.

Tears rolled down her cheeks. No, this had to be a lie! Mitsukai was not dead! Miraye closed her eyes for a moment and, unknowingly, blacked out.

Miraye woke up in her bed. She prayed that she had been dreaming. But, much to her dismay, she realized that Karasu was holding her in his lap. She ducked her head and cried. She cried for a few minutes before looking up at Karasu from behind her sunglasses.

"What happened?" She whimpered, not really wanting to know the truth.

He looked down at her, brown eyes filled with sadness. "Nobody knows. She has been sick for the past three months, apparantly, and was gone by this morning." She saw that tears stained his face as well.

She sat up and wrapping her arms around him and pressing her face into his chest. "Why did it have to be her?"

The blonde boy shook his head slowly. "I don't know, Mira-chan. You know what we should do? We should have a sleepover, with all the other kids."

Miraye nodded. "Definitely. You can go get everybody, while I set everything up." She got off Karasu's lap.

The Inuzuka boy leaned forward and kissed Miraye on the head. "All of us will get through this together, Mira-chan. You'll never be alone, I promise. And neither will Gaman. As long as I walk these lands, I will make sure you and Gaman will be okay."

The bug-nin nodded. "Go, then. It will take a while. I'll get all the food ready."

It took Karasu an hour and a half to gather everybody. Gaman and his sister, Teisei, were there first. With eyes filled with sorrow, Miraye hugged them both. "I'm so sorry."

Teisei gave Miraye a faintly sad look. "We knew that she wasn't going to make it. It had to happen sooner or later." The sixteen-year-old said, voice shaking slightly.

Miraye tried to change the subject. "Would you like some rice balls?"

Gaman and Miraye put forced smile on their faces. Gaman spoke. "Only if you made them." The two grieving sibblings stepped into the house and towards the kitchen.

Next to arrive were the Hyuuga girls, Miraye's second cousins. Shukumei, who was seventeen, and her little sister Hateshi was fourteen. They were carrying sleeping bags. Shukumei had an angry expression on her face. Hateshi's features expressed cold nothingness. They stepped into the house, no words exchanged with Miraye.

Karasu was right behind them. "Found everyone!" He panted. He had sweat on his forehead; he had obviously been running around to find the other children.

"Thank you." She stepped towards him and kissed Karasu lightly on the mouth. He was her only source of happiness in such a dark time, and yet she felt guilty for seeking such happiness when everybody else was in pain.

When Miraye and Karasu entered the living room, everybody was on the ground on top of their sleeping bags. They were all in their pajamas. Miraye's brother, Tenko, was sitting next to Hateshi. They were talking loudly about some exam from the Ninja Academy. Riya, Miraye's ten-year-old sister, was sitting in Gaman's lap, listening to a story. There was a melancholy air around everyone.

Karasu leaned close to Miraye's ear. "Mira-chan, we should liven things up." Karasu threw himself into the room, beaming at everyone. Only a dog-nin's son could stay positive in this sort of situation, and Miraye was so proud of him.

"Let's play truth or dare!" Karasu exclaimed, sitting down on a sleeping bag.

All the other kids, eager for something distracting, either nodded or called out "Yeah!".

Karasu told Gaman. "You're first! Truth or dare somebody!" Karasu was practically jumping out of his skin in excitement. Miraye walked over and sat down right next to him, grabbing his arm and snuggling with it. Teisei raised her eyebrow at the two, but said nothing.

Gaman looked around the room. His gaze rested on Shukumei. "Shuku-chan, truth or dare?" His voice was tinted with a bit of michief.

Shukumei rolled her eyes. "Truth. There's no way I'm doing a dare with you guys."

The Uzumaki boy didn't hesitate with a question. "Who do you like?" He tried to grin, but he couldn't express his happy emotions at the moment. He settled for a non-emotional expression.

Suddenly, Shukumei's cheeks were flushed. She didn't open her mouth. Teisei elbowed her. "Come on, Shuku-chan! Tell us!" The redhead girl prodded the black-haired girl.

With brown eyes cast towards the floor, Shukumei spoke. "Gaman-kun." She was blushing furiously, twidling with her fingers nervously. Shukumei was normally outgoing and easily angered, but now she looked as timid as a cornered mouse. Her black hair, which was almost exactly the same as Miraye's, hung in her face. When she finally had the courage to look back up, she saw that Gaman had crawled over to her. His face hovered right in front of hers, looking into her eyes nervously.

"I was hoping you'd say that." Everyone could hear the pain and suffering in his voice as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. He pulled away and gazed into her eyes. Then he leaned in and proceeded to kiss her on the lips over and over again, slowly and lovingly.

Teisei spoke loudly. "You could stop that any time now!" She snarled.

Gaman broke away from Shukumei and glared at his sister. "Shut up. I'm busy." He stood and scooped Shukumei into his arms, carrying her away from every body else and into another room.

Miraye heard Tenko snort. "I don't even want to know what's going on in there."

Teisei, looking utterly upset, rolled her eyes. Miraye let go of Karasu's arm and walked over to the blonde-haired girl. "It's okay, Teisei. Love helps the pain." Miraye sat and wrapped her arms around Teisei. "I'll be here for you."

Karasu followed Miraye to Teisei's sleeping bag and grasped her hand. "Yes, we'll all be here. For eachother." 


End file.
